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We are deeply saddened by the passing of Amos Bairoch (1957–2025), the creator of PROSITE. We wish to dedicate our latest paper, published shortly before his death, to him. He will always be a source of inspiration to us.
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Amos Bairoch

PROSITE documentation PDOC00131
recA family signature and profiles


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PURL: https://purl.expasy.org/prosite/documentation/PDOC00131

Description

The bacterial recA protein [1,2,3] is essential for homologous recombination and recombinational repair of DNA damage. RecA has many activities: it filaments, it binds to single- and double-stranded DNA, it binds and hydrolyzes ATP, it is also a recombinase and, finally, it interacts with lexA causing its activation and leading to its autocatalytic cleavage.

RecA is a protein of about 350 amino-acid residues. Its sequence is very well conserved [3,4,5] among eubacterial species. It is also found in the chloroplast of plants [6].

The recA protein is closely related to:

  • Eukaryotic RAD51 protein. Promotes homologous pairing and strand exchange on chromatin.
  • Eukaryotic DMC1 protein. Participates in meiotic recombination.
  • Prokaryotic radA protein. Involved in DNA repair and in homologous recombination.
  • Bacteriophage uvsX gene product. Important in genetic recombination, DNA repair, and replication.

As a signature pattern specific for the bacterial and chloroplastic recA protein, we selected the best conserved region, a nonapeptide located in the middle of the sequence and which is part of the monomer-monomer interface in a recA filament.

We also developed two profiles. The first one covers the ATP binding domain in the N-terminal part of the recA protein. The second one span the whole monomer-monomer interface. These two profiles also pick up the recA-like proteins.

roca@macc.wisc.edu.

           Eisen J.A.;
jeisen@leland.stanford.edu
Expert(s) to contact by email:

Roca A.I.;

Last update:

December 2012 / Profile revised.

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Technical section

PROSITE methods (with tools and information) covered by this documentation:

RECA_2, PS50162; RecA family profile 1  (MATRIX)

RECA_3, PS50163; RecA family profile 2  (MATRIX)

RECA_1, PS00321; recA signature  (PATTERN)


References

1AuthorsSmith K.C. Wang T.-C.
TitlerecA-dependent DNA repair processes.
SourceBioEssays 10:12-16(1989).
PubMed ID2653307

2AuthorsLloyd A.T. Sharp P.M.
TitleEvolution of the recA gene and the molecular phylogeny of bacteria.
SourceJ. Mol. Evol. 37:399-407(1993).
PubMed ID8308907

3AuthorsRoca A.I. Cox M.M.
SourceProg. Nucleic Acids Res. Mol. Biol. 56:129-223(1997).

4AuthorsKarlin S. Weinstock G.M. Brendel V.
TitleBacterial classifications derived from recA protein sequence comparisons.
SourceJ. Bacteriol. 177:6881-6893(1995).
PubMed ID7592482

5AuthorsEisen J.A.
TitleThe RecA protein as a model molecule for molecular systematic studies of bacteria: comparison of trees of RecAs and 16S rRNAs from the same species.
SourceJ. Mol. Evol. 41:1105-1123(1995).
PubMed ID8587109

6AuthorsCerutti H.D. Osman M. Grandoni P. Jagendorf A.T.
TitleA homolog of Escherichia coli RecA protein in plastids of higher plants.
SourceProc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89:8068-8072(1992).
PubMed ID1518831



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